Indian Lake graduate Melanie Watkins officially received her American FFA Degree during the recent 2019 FFA National Convention.
Watkins, her Indian Lake/Ohio Hi-Point FFA adviser Tanner Schoen and her family attended the Indianapolis event so she could make the walk across the stage with approximately 4,300 American Degree recipients from all over the country.
Watkins describes her sense of accomplishment, "It was nerve wracking to go up, but I'm glad I got it. I spent so much time doing the things to earn it and it shows I'm capable of big things."
As the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization, the American FFA Degree demonstrates an FFA member’s dedication to his or her chapter and state FFA association. Young people eligible for the degree must have completed high school, been active in their FFA Chapter for at least 3 years, have earned a State FFA Degree, have completed at least 50 hours of community service, and have maintained records to substantiate an outstanding supervised agricultural experience program earning $10,000.
Watkins served as the ILHS/OHP Chapter Secretary and was an active four-year member. She earned a State FFA Degree before her graduation in 2018 by showing hogs at the Logan County Fair annually and working for T and A Enterprises locally. She is the first Indian Lake graduate to earn an American FFA Degree since 2006.
Indian Lake/OHP FFA Advisor Tanner Schoen is proud of Watkins' efforts.
"She was the first State Degree Indian Lake had in fifteen years, so it is fitting she is our first American recipient in a long time. She had 3 different FFA advisors in high school, which would make a lot of kids tune out and not strive to accomplish much but she kept pushing forward. Melanie has set the standard that I know can be accomplished by our younger students year in and year out, not once in a blue moon."
"I hope other kids I know will strive for it," Watkins adds.
Watkins now works full-time at Heritage Cooperative in DeGraff, where she serves as an agronomy assistant in the billing department.